walsh



2Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. WALSH.

- Billiard-Table;

Patented April 13,1880.

Jaye afar.

",PETERS, PHOTWUTHDGRAPMER. WA

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN WALSH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HUGH, W. COLLENDER, OF SAMEPLACE.

BlLLlARD-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,430, dated April13, 1880. Application filed December 15, 1879.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WALSH, of New York city, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Billiard-Tables and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Previous to myinvention it has been customary to employ cushion-blocksor supplementary removable cushion portions for the purpose oftransforming a pocket-table into a carrom-table; but in all cases that Iknow of the removable cushion-pieces have been held in place on thetable by means such that there was more or less tendency to deflecteither portions of the supplemental cushion or of the main cushion (orof both) from the true line by the enforcement of the removable portionto and its retention in its proper workin g position. The removablepieces are necessarily so shaped as to form at the planes of theirjunction with the pocket-openings in the permanent portions of thecushions flaring unions-that is to say, the planes of union between thesides or ends of the removable cushion-piece and the adjacent ends ofthe main cushions run in slightly convergent directions, (being nearertogether at the portions farthest from the face of the cushion.) Thisconformation of the parts is necessary in order to insure, as far aspossible, a perfect jointure of the parts at the points nearest theworking-face of the cushion, it being most important that the permanentand removable cushion portion of the table shall be held so solidlytogether at these points as to present the same facilities for correctplaying that would arise in the use of a regular carrom-table and itwill be understood that in the use of a contrivance involving thisprinciple of construction not only must any securing devices thatoperate to force the cushionbloek home bodily into its wedge-shaped seattend to wedge apart or deflect from their true lines the end portions ofthe permanent-cushion portions; but, more than that, the concussion ofthe balls upon the temporary portions of the cushions will tend toproduce the same undesirable effect.

My invention hasforits main object to overcome the'difficulty explained,and to'this main end and object it consists in the use, in combinationwith the removable cushion blocks or pieces, of means for clamping suchblocks at each end to the main or permanent cushion portions,respectively, so as to draw together the parts in a manner equivalent tosplicing each main-cushion portion to a cushion-piece disconnected withany other portion of the cushions, thus avoiding any tendency toward anydeflective strain on the cushion-faces, as will be hereinafter morefully explained.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to more fully describe it, referring by letters to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a partial top "iew ofabilliardtahle, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is anelevation of the cushion-rails and corner-pocket of so much of the tableas shown at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same,(at thelineman ofFig. 2;) and Fig.4 is a view ofthe removable cushion-piece andclam ping devices detached.

In the several figures the same part will he found designated by thesame letter of reference.

A is the table-bed, and B 0 portions of a side and end cushion-rail ofan ordinary four or six pocket table. E and F are respectively portionsof the side and end (permanent) cushions, of the usual form, and theadjacent ends of which terminate, as shown, in flared surfaces,constituting the passage-way to the pocket G, which is of the usualshape and arrangement, and depends from the cutaway in the corner of thetable-bed and from the usual pocket-iron D.

As all these parts are made and operate in the customary manner, nofurther description of them seems necessary.

H is a removable corner-pocket cushionblock, or removable and attachablecushionpiece, which is of about the usual shapethat 5 is, formed so asto fill up the cut-out in the permanent cushions, and adapted, when inworking position, to fill up this gap and produce an effect equivalentto continuing the end and side cushions so as to meet in a miter-jointat the corner of the bed, for the purpose of transforming the table froma pocket to a carrom table; but this corner block or cushion-piece H isprovided with a sort of bifurcated metallic base-frame, or sort of angleiron or frame, I, which has projecting ends 11, which protrude beyondthe extremities of the piece H, and are adapted to fit snugly in thecrotches formed at the bases of the cushions E and F, and between thelowermost portions of their faces and the table-bed. This angle iron orframe I, which carries the cushionpiece H, has a screw-shank, as seen atj, which lies in the plane of the miter of the cushions, and is providedwith a thumb-nut, 7t, as illustrated.

I] is a yoke-shaped clamping-bar, through the center of which passes thethreaded portion j of shank I, and the ends of which take bearings, asshown, on the exterior surfaces of the vertical portions of thecushion-rails B and U.

When the cushion-block is placed in position for use, as shown at Figs.1, 2, and 3, the screw-threaded shank I j protrudes through the clampingyoke-piece L,and has applied to itthe thumb-nut 7c, in the mannerillustrated, and the projections t iof the angle plate or frame I cometo hearings at the roots of the cushions E and F, and as seen at pointsor localities about opposite to the points of hearing'of the ends of theclznnping-plate L on the outer surfaces of the cushion-rails. (See Fig.3.)

By tightening up the thumb-nut the end of each cushion-rail and itscushion will be griped firmly between one of the portions t and one endof the yoke-plate L, and the cushion-piece H (securely attached at itsroot to the angle-iron I) will thus be firmly held in place with itsworking-faces in perfect line with the faces of the side and endcushions, E F, respectively.

It will be observed that while the cushionpiece I is permitted to centeritself in its seat and come perfectly to the proper position, theelampingof it to the cushions E and F (and their rails) is eifected ateach end in a manner about equivalent to separately bolting the saidends to the said cushions, respectively, and that therefore, in screwingup the nut 7c and drawing home the parts with never so much force,

there is practically no strain exerted which operates to spread apart ordeflect from their true positions the ends of the permanent cushions.

It will be understood, of course, that the straight (instead of angular)cushionblocks designed for closing up side pockets in the conversion ofa six-pocket to a carrom table have the base frame or iron I and theyokeplate L made straight in lieu of respectively angular and curved, asseen in the drawings, and that variations may be made in the details ofconstruction in either case without departing from the principle of myinvention, the gist of which lies in having applied to the parts to beunited and disconnected at pleasure means for clamping them together inthe manner shown and explainedthat is, so that the securing-togeth erdevices operate to splice each permanent cushion out toward the corneror miter and prevent any spreading-apart strain on either of saidcushions, and incidentally prevent, also, the concussive action of theballs from tending to produce any such spreading action.

Having fully explained the nature and operation of my improved means forthe attachment of the removable cushion-blocks used for transformingpocket-tables temporarily into carrom-tables, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the cushion-block or supplemental cushion-piece,of a base-frame or cushion-supporting piece having portions adapted totake bearings at the roots of the permanent-cushion portions, a plate orbar hearing at its ends on the outer portions of the cushion-rails, andmeans for effecting the clamping of the ends of the said permanentcushion portions and their rails between the bearing ends of the saidplate or bar and those portions of the said base-frame that come tobearings at the roots of the permanent cushions in substantially ahorizontal direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 10th dayof December, 187 9.

JOHN WALSH.

In presence of- JAMES J. DYRNES, SAMUEL J. SMITH.

